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ASTR Announces New Association Management Company

Today, ASTR President Heather Nathans announced the selection of a new association management company. Her communication is below.

The Executive Committee, the Search Committee, and I are pleased to announce a partnership with Ewald Consulting to provide management services to ASTR beginning on December 1, 2014. Transition activities will begin October 1.

Ewald Consulting is headquartered in St. Paul, MN, with an office in Chicago, IL. As Senior Advisor to ASTR, Eric Ewald, C.A.E., M.B.A., will provide advice, counsel, and support to the Executive Committee and volunteer leaders in the development, evolution, and execution of ASTR’s mission, vision, and strategic planning process. Overall management responsibility lies with the incoming Account Executive, Andy Shelp, with oversight by the Senior Advisor. Andy is located in the Chicago office.

Ewald Consulting has served non-profit organizations for over thirty-two years and is a charter accredited Association Management Company through the Association Management Company Institute. Their experience in managing over forty organizations of varying size, scope, and mission offers ASTR an opportunity to broaden its services in advocacy, education and training, and social media and technology. ASTR can benefit from Ewald’s staff expertise in our common web platform, YourMembership.Com. ASTR will continue to enhance its use of those features with their staff assistance and guidance.

Andy Shelp and Eric Ewald will be present at the annual ASTR conference in November. They will participate in the Executive Committee meeting, work with Nancy and her staff throughout the conference, and attend as many of our panels and programs as their schedules permit. This will let them get to know our members and to learn how things work before they coordinate the 2015 conference.

Beginning December 1, 2014, Andy Shelp will become ASTR’s Administrator/ Executive Director working from the Ewald Consulting Chicago office. Shaun Franklin-Sewell will continue in his role as Communications Manager reporting to Andy through May 31, 2015. Nancy Erickson, M.B.A., C.A.E., will work with Ewald staff to ensure a smooth and seamless transition through December 31, 2014.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to the members of the Search Committee on the care, vision, and fairness with which they approached this challenging task. I applaud Rhonda Blair, Past President; Cindy Brizell-Bates, Treasurer; Patrick Anderson, Vice President for Conferences; Soyica Colbert, Executive Committee member; and Shane Vogel, Executive Committee member. I also want to thank Nancy Erickson for her thoughtfulness in advising us during this process.

We look forward to getting to know the Ewald leadership team and to collaborating with them to enhance the value of your ASTR membership in the coming years. Please forward any questions to me at president@astr.org.